Beijing, August 28: The militaries of China and Nepal will hold a joint counter-terrorism training exercise in Nepal from early to mid-September, China’s Ministry of National Defence announced on Thursday.
The exercise, which will also include disaster relief and peacekeeping training, comes just ahead of Nepal Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli’s official visit to China.
According to Defence Ministry spokesperson Zhang Xiaogang, the drills will mark the fifth joint training between the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and Nepal’s armed forces. He said the move would strengthen counter-terrorism cooperation while “deepening the traditional friendship and practical cooperation between the two militaries.”
The training is seen as part of growing military and security engagement between China and Nepal, as Beijing looks to expand its regional influence in South Asia.